


Moments from Far, Far Away: An Anthology

by EarthboundJedi



Category: Star Wars Original Trilogy, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy, Star Wars: Rebels, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: more to be added as i write more
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-11-06
Updated: 2018-02-21
Packaged: 2019-01-30 03:33:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 4,603
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12645279
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EarthboundJedi/pseuds/EarthboundJedi
Summary: In a push to get myself writing again, I decided to take on a30-day writing challengeduring the month of November. Ideally that means one short story/drabble per day, but we'll see if that actually happens. In the end, eventually there will be 30 moments in time I've envisioned from the Star Wars universe posted here for your reading pleasure.All stories are originally posted on mytumblr





	1. A Stolen Moment

Hera’s heart pounded as the pair of Stormtroopers passed by their hidden location in the alley. You would think that, after so long, she would have grown used to the feeling of fear by now.

Kanan’s grip on her wrist was warm and strong, filling her with a sense of comfort. And a twinge of excitement.

Now  _that_ was a feeling she’d gotten used to.

In a way, the return of the  _Ghost_ crew to Lothal reminded her a lot of when she first ran into Kanan on Gorse. Gathering intel, sneaking around right under the Empire’s nose… not that supply runs weren’t important, but their current assignment was definitely a welcome change.

And it was nice to have the team back together again, with her favorite Jedi by her side.

“Heh… I just realized. It’s been a while since we’ve spent some time alone,” Kanan voiced softly, his fingers moving to intertwine with hers. Sometimes she swore he could read her mind.

“And when we do it’s in situations like this,” Hera sighed.

“I wish…” he started.

Her heart skipped a beat.

“… I could see you.”

She gently untangled her hands from his hold. Reaching up, she removed the visor covering his eyes. Kanan’s eyes, which had once been so expressive, were unfocused and cloudy. The angry horizontal scar on his skin would always serve as a reminder of that fateful trip to Malachor.

His eyes had been one of Hera’s favorite things about him. Even though in the past Kanan would put on airs of nonchalance and bravado, it was always his expressions that tipped her off to the kind of man he truly was. And his actions alongside her over the years were an even louder testament to his character.

“You could always see me,” she murmured with a tender smile.

Then it was as if time slowed down. Kanan started leaning in closer to her, and Hera was aware of the ends of her lekku twisting together as her heart started pounding again somewhere between her chest and her throat. The air between them felt like it was magnetically charged, drawing the two of them together until she could feel his warm breath tickling her skin. He was so close she could almost taste him. She lifted her head slightly to try and close the gap faster, her eyes closing to enjoy the moment…

**Beep! Beep!**

_Great, that must be reality calling._

Hera breathed in sharply, moving to answer her comm. Kanan straightened up slowly, the blue glow illuminating his disappointed expression; even his unseeing eyes looked downfallen. What she wouldn’t give to have just a few more seconds alone.

“I’ve found the speeders,” Zeb’s voice growled through the device.

Hera had to clear her throat. “Uh, how many?”

“All of them, I think.”

She exchanged a glance with Kanan. The moment they had just tried to steal was now past. Time to get back to work.

She was beginning to grow tired of going back to work.


	2. Of Paint and Accusations

“Ezra, give it back  _now_!!” Sabine stormed into the room he and Zeb shared on the Ghost.

Ezra immediately threw his arms up, assuming a defensive position. “Woah, hey, I didn’t do it! … wait, what didn’t I do?”

“My sky blue paint can, you buckethead! I need it to finish touching up my armor!” She gestured at the shoulder plate in her hand, pointing frustratedly at the dull, worn-away spot in the middle of the convor.

“Hey now, I didn’t do it this time!”

“Fine. If you didn’t, then who did?”

“I dunno, Chopper’s always up to something. Why don’t you go accuse him for a change?”

“Maybe I will!” Sabine huffed, stomping back out the door and around the corner. Ezra hurried after her as she called out for the droid. If someone on this ship besides him was going to get in trouble for touching Sabine’s paint without her permission, he wanted to be there to see it.

Ezra caught up with her in the dining area. Sabine was standing in front of the old C1 unit with her arms crossed. Chopper’s two claw appendages were waving wildly in the air.

“Bwaaaaa-bwa bwa baaaaahh!!”

“Chopper, I know you know who took it! Just tell me already!”

“Bwa-bwa.”

“Tell me or I’ll give you a bright purple head.”

Reluctantly, Chopper pointed an arm in the direction of the main cockpit.

_Sabine sure does have a way with people_ , Ezra thought to himself.  _And droids._

He followed a few paces behind Sabine as she made her way to the cockpit, closely shadowed by a snickering (at least, he thought that noise was snickering) Chopper. When they got there, they found Hera coolly piloting the  _Ghost_ while Zeb reclined in the co-pilot’s chair.

“What’s with the parade?” Zeb asked, raising an eyebrow at them.

“Chopper seems to think you know where my sky blue paint went,” Sabine stated as she stared down Zeb, her hands on her hips.

“Well it ain’t me,” Zeb said smugly, crossing his arms behind his head. With a knowing smile, he winked in Hera’s direction.

Sabine slowly did a one-eighty to face the ace pilot. “Wait… Hera?”

Hera glanced up from the controls with a chuckle. “I’m sorry Sabine, I meant to return it as soon as I was done. I was in a… creative mood.”

Sabine furrowed her eyebrows in confusion as they heard the sound of footsteps approaching. Kanan must have decided to join the party. Hera turned her attention back to the controls in front of her, suppressing a snicker.

“What’s going on in here?” Kanan asked, stepping through the doorway.

Sabine turned to look at the Jedi and immediately snorted. Trying to recover as quickly as possible, she waved to him, “Oh, hey Kanan. Not much. Just working on a painting.”

“Feeling inspired, are we?”

Sabine had a strained look on her face, as if she was making an effort not to smile too much. “You could say that.” Ezra could see both Zeb and Hera’s shoulders slightly shaking as they stared purposefully ahead out the window.

Ezra finally rotated to look at Kanan and had to use all of his self-control to keep from rolling on the floor laughing. Someone had painted bright blue hearts on Kanan’s visor.

Noticing the reaction of the room, Kanan frowned. “What?”

Hera calmly got up from her chair and walked over to him, pushing a can of paint into Sabine’s hand as she passed by. “Nothing, love,” she murmured, kissing him lightly on the cheek before leaving the room.

The minute Hera rounded the corner, Sabine broke down into poorly suppressed snickering.

“Come  _on_ , what’s so funny?!”

“Nothing! Just… admiring Hera’s… uh, handiwork!” Sabine gasped.

Kanan crossed his arms and shifted his weight, impatiently tapping one foot.

Ezra clapped a hand on his master’s shoulder. “Kanan… you’ve got heart eyes.”

At that point, everyone except Kanan was doubled over with laughter. Even Chopper was waving his arms back and forth and making a high-pitched grunting sound.

“Ah, I see,” the blind Jedi stated, raising an eyebrow. “In that case…”

The corner of his mouth turned up in a mischievous smile.

“Sabine, can I borrow some paint?”


	3. Restless Ruminations

“Mistress Padme, I  _do_ wish you would stop pacing. You’re wearing a track into the carpet.”

“Sorry, Threepio, it’s just…” the senator paused her restless pacing to look out the window of her apartment. High above the atmosphere of Coruscant, she could barely make out faint bursts of orange light as more and more ships fell casualty to the battle raging overhead.

“… Ani should have been back by now.”

“I am sure Master Anakin is alright,” the protocol droid declared enthusiastically. “He’ll return the moment he has rescued the Chancellor.”

“I know, but…” she trailed off with a sigh. She really needed to talk to her husband. Needed to tell him something. Something she should have told him the last time he was home between missions.

Padme’s hands slid over her stomach, cradling the small bump hidden beneath her robes.

To say she was afraid was an understatement - she was terrified. The last few times Anakin had been on Coruscant they’d parted ways angry and frustrated with each other because of some fight, usually over something stupid and trivial. It was starting to become a pattern. But their most recent fight, although they had resolved things before he left, had left her with some doubts about their relationship that she still couldn’t shake.

Instinctively, Padme glanced at the low glass table in her sitting area. She’d had it replaced after Anakin cracked the previous one during his fight with the late Senator Clovis. That was a night she’d sooner forget.

She drew a shaky breath as she pulled a chair up to the window, returning to her vigil watching over the sky. Her doubts didn’t change the fact that she still deeply loved her husband. It just shined a harsh light on the fact that the two of them could never have a normal relationship with the way things currently were.

And the addition of a child surely wouldn’t help. On one hand, the thought of having a child made her excited beyond belief. But on the other, it felt like she was stuck between a rock and a hard place. Without revealing who the father is (assuming they could still keep up their charade of secrecy), she would get side glances in the Senate for being a single mother. Not that she’d be the first, nor did her fellow senators have any business knowing her personal life, but somehow they’d make it their business anyway. And with Anakin being away as much as he was, especially with the end of the war still nowhere in sight, she would essentially be raising their child on her own.

She could move back to Naboo and stay with her parents. Anakin would be able to visit whenever he snuck away between missions, something he was getting quite adept at. But to do that, she would have to resign from the Senate.

That wasn’t something she could do. Not yet.

With a sigh, Padme leaned back in her chair. She had a while before the baby was due, there was still time to figure things out. Maybe Anakin would have an idea. Their whole situation would be so much easier if they didn’t have to keep their marriage a secret. If Anakin weren’t a Jedi. Of course, she would never dream of asking him to leave the Order, but if anyone discovered them he’d be kicked out anyway…

The sooner she could talk to him, the better.

“The Chancellor sure chose a hell of a time to go and get himself kidnapped,” she thought aloud to herself, forcing herself to chuckle to lighten her mood.

Her attempt at humor was lost on Threepio, who was busying himself tidying the entryway. Not that there was really anything to tidy. “My Lady,” he called out, “I do believe the term ‘kidnapping’ implies the Chancellor did not have a choice in the matter.”

“Of course, Threepio, I meant it as a joke.”

“Oh. Very well, then.”

Despite the smile on her face, she couldn’t shake her feeling of unease. Looking up at the sky, she sent a silent prayer through the Force:

_My love, please come home soon._


	4. Break Time

Leia leaned against the wall of the hangar bay, cradling a steaming mug of caf between her gloved hands. She watched the barren, snowy landscape of Hoth through the open bay door - it was nothing but different shades of white as far as the eye could see. She liked spending her fifteen-minute breaks here. After spending countless hours a day watching radar screens, relaying messages, and attempting to keep a rebellion organized, she found it rejuvenating to simply stare at nothing. No charts. No thinking. Just nothing.

Sometimes, after she had stared at nothingness long enough to clear her mind, Leia would overlay visions of some of the more scenic planets she’d been to over Hoth’s blank canvas. Lothal’s rolling hills and fields, the glittering skyline of Coruscant… the many water features of Naboo had always been one of her favorites. They were a close second to the natural beauty of Alderaan.

_Alderaan…_

Remembering her homeworld was still painful. It would always be painful, thinking of all the places, people, and memories that were now lost to eternity, with herself as the only legacy of an entire planet. She doubted that pain would ever go away. She was slowly getting used to it, though. Instead of a sharp, throbbing pain in her chest, the pain was morphing into a feeling of numbness.

The insanely cold temperatures might be helping with that.

Leia shivered as a gust of wind blew in, carrying with it a small flurry of snow. A single snowflake landed on one of her gloves. She couldn’t help but admire the intricate little pattern the frozen crystal made. Even here, on a barren planet of snow and ice, there was beauty.

In that moment, she was reminded of something her father used to say to her as a child:  _Everywhere in our Galaxy has beauty in it, you just have to be willing to look hard enough._

Leia blinked back tears as she watched the steam from her mug melt the snowflake.

Gulping down her caf too fast, she turned to go back to the command room. She still had a few minutes of break time left, but she felt like she’d had more than enough nothingness for the day.


	5. Meditation

Kanan knelt outside the base. The evening air on Yavin IV was slightly cool, making it a very comfortable environment for meditation. He imagined that there was abundant wildlife on Yavin; although he couldn’t see his surroundings, he could hear the soft rustle of leaves and quiet murmurings of small animals that lurked outside the Rebellion’s camp.

He took a deep breath, trying to focus. Lately, whenever he would meditate, his visions through the Force were clouded by some sort of haze. In particular, an ominous shadow kept lurking in the corner of his visions. It had to be the Dark Side, hiding in the shadows to conceal their intentions. And based on the size of the shadow he felt, it didn’t bode well for the Galaxy.

He could sense the rest of the  _Ghost_ crew busying themselves inside the base. They were heading back to Lothal in the morning, and Ezra in particular was radiating with anxiety. Kanan couldn’t blame him - Lothal was another constant in his visions of late. But every time the planet appeared to him, it was much different than the Lothal he remembered.

It was a warning from the Force: _Lothal was dying._

Lothal wasn’t the only planet withering away at the hands of the Empire. But in the sea of the Force, Lothal was crying out the loudest to him. There must be something special about the planet. Maybe something they were meant to discover.

A vision of a dog - no, a  _wolf_  - came to him. Its eyes were as old as time and wise beyond measure. It looked into his very being, lowly growling a single word. To some, it would sound like an omen. But to him, it was a call:

_Dume._

That was a name he hadn’t heard in a long time.

Startled, Kanan broke from his meditation. Returning to his surroundings, he was aware of a hand on his shoulder.

“Are you alright, love?”

Tilting his head in Hera’s direction, Kanan replied, “Yeah, just fine.”

If only he could see her, he was sure she was raising an eyebrow at him in disbelief.

After a few moments, realizing she wasn’t going to get any further elaboration, Hera changed the subject, “We’re putting together disguises right now, want to come inside to find one that fits you?”

“Sure, I’ll be there in just a minute.” He felt the warmth of her hand slide from his shoulder, and heard gentle footsteps heading back inside.

With a sigh, Kanan reached out to the Force again, trying to see if it had anything else to share with him. But his visions showed more of the same. Lothal. The wolf. Darkness.

He didn’t have a bad feeling… but he didn’t exactly have a good feeling about this, either.


	6. As Night Gives Way to Dawn

Obi-wan stared pensively at his campfire. He tried to clear his mind, but as the flames danced in front of him all he could see was the past.

_6,351_.

He still couldn’t look at fire the same way. Where most people would be grateful for its warmth and security on a cold night such as this, but tonight all he could see was red. And to him, that was the color of pain.

The pain of watching his brother, crippled by Obi-wan’s own hand, become engulfed in flames. The ring of crimson in his eyes, paired with shrieks of hate, cutting into the Jedi’s heart more deeply than anything else ever had.

_Red. Pain. Heartbreak._

His heart breaking again in a matter of hours, standing by helpless as one of his closest friends lay dying. The light in her soul smothered by the darkness that surrounded her all her life. As long as he’d known her, she’d been a shining beacon for others. Even when others didn’t realize they needed her.

_Darkness_.

_6,351_.

His campfire flickered, throwing out an ember that quickly extinguished itself on the sand. Like the fire, the darkness of the Empire hadn’t spread to the desert planet yet. Not that the planet was without its challenges.

_6,351_.

Obi-wan closed his eyes. _I must recenter myself. Such thoughts do me no good._

He took a deep breath and reached out to the Force. The galaxy wasn’t completely filled with darkness. Little sparks of light flickered and danced in his vision. Sparks of life. Sparks of hope.

Recently some of the sparks had started grouping together, drawing others to their light. Every now and then, he thought he could sense the pull of the Force to a handful of beings. Perhaps more Jedi survived the purge than I had thought…

He could also sense the web of darkness woven by the Emperor and his apprentice. It snaked across the galaxy, constantly trying to snuff out the light. Another all-too-familiar shadow lurked at the web’s edges, feeding on the suffering of others to further its own cause. Obi-wan could sense the shadow creeping ever closer and guessed it would only be a matter of time before it sought him out.

_6,351_.

He’d been on Tatooine for a long time now. It was by far the longest he’d ever stayed in one place. Though it wouldn’t have been his first choice for his exile, he couldn’t imagine being any where else.

He fondly thought of the farm just a few ridges over, where a boy slept on his aunt and uncle’s farm. The boy wouldn’t be asleep for much longer - the morning rays of the twin suns were just starting to appear on the horizon.

Obi-wan sat still, calmly feeling the Force around him as he watched his fire burn itself out, leaving behind glowing embers. By then, the suns were just barely visible over the sand dunes.

_6,352_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooooo I wrote this back in November, posted it to my Tumblr, and never updated here. Whoops.


	7. One Loss Too Many

Leia sat at the Millennium Falcon’s table, slowly running a hand over the checkerboard. It was as if the table has been frozen in time, still as worn-down and dusty as when she first laid eyes on it so many years ago. It felt like it was just yesterday when she sat at this table with Luke and empathized with the loss he had suffered at her expense.

Though the Falcon was the same, everything else had changed.

She heard a low whirring noise as Artoo slowly rolled over to where she sat. Rey must have told the droid what just happened. Or more accurately, what they felt happen.

“I know, old friend, I miss him too. I miss all of them.”

Artoo let out a sad series of beeps and whistles in response.

Leia sighed as she rested a hand on the faithful droid’s dome in comfort, both for his comfort and for hers. They had lost so many people in such a short time. Most of the Resistance was wiped out. The New Republic was crumbling. Han was gone. And now, so was Luke.

_Too many losses… I honestly don’t think I can take any more._

Then, as if to challenge her unspoken thought, Leia felt another ripple in the Force. The feeling was different than the one she had felt mere hours ago - this one felt sadder somehow, as if a life had been snuffed out before its time. Curious, she tried reaching out to discover more.

Who could this person have been? Everyone she cared about was either dead or on the Falcon with her. Perhaps a long-lost Jedi?

She reached out through the Force until a vision came to her. She saw shadows of girls wearing her old double-bun hairstyle, tears being mopped up by long white dress sleeves. A whisper floated in the air,  _“In loving memory of our princess. _.__ _.”_

With a sharp breath Leia withdrew from the vision. Had she just seen the future? And yet… Something about the vision seemed off. As if it was from another galaxy far, far away.

She couldn’t shake the feeling that she had somehow just lost a piece of her soul.

—–

_In loving memory of Carrie Fisher - forever our Princess, Rebel, and General._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bonus round: I was feeling sentimental on the anniversary of our Princess's death. So here ya go


	8. Seeing the Light

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here's where I completely throw out my original plan, going out of order with the prompts and writing whatever I damn well please - which, right now, is some more Rebels feels. Because that mid-season trailer.
> 
> This little piece in time is inspired by the Rebels mid-season trailer, but by no means is it a prediction of what might happen (because the scenery in the clips that inspired this definitely didn't occur in the exact same place. at least, I'm pretty sure they didn't)

The wall in front of Ezra towered over him, carved with engravings that had become smooth with the passage of time. The spaces between some of the grooves were colored in with some sort of paint, the vibrant colors dulled by a layer of dust. In the center of the mural, he could just barely make out the form of three figures. On the left, a stunning woman with some sort of creature on her shoulder; on the right, a man with markings similar to a nightmare from years ago. And in the center, a wizened old man simultaneously separating and joining the other two.

Ezra brushed away some of the dust from the left side of the carving, trying to get a closer look at the little drawing of the creature. It looked like some sort of bird, and it was definitely not a species he’d seen on Lothal before. The coloring was definitely foreign, the soft golds and lively greens mirroring the hair and dress of the woman on the wall.

He turned with a start at the sound of rustling feathers. Perched on a ledge above him, as if summoned by touching the wall, was a pudgy bird with the same color scheme as the one in the mural.

_Of course there’s a bird here,_ Ezra thought. _What is it, a Loth-owl or something?_

He peered a little closer at the bird. Not only did it look like it had just flown out of the mural, but the creature looked extremely familiar - and it definitely wasn’t native to Lothal. “Hey, I’ve seen you before!”

The bird-owl thing -  _Convor? That name seemed familiar_  - cooed contently at him.

“Hey, do you know what this picture in the wall is?” he softly called out.  _He’d talked to Loth-wolves before, why would talking to a strange bird be any weirder?_  “Is it some sort of ancient legend or something?”

The convor merely hooted in response, staring intently at him.

With a sigh, Ezra turned back to the mural. There was something about it that drew him to it, moreso than the cave paintings the wolves had shown him. Something about the three figures was so familiar, but he couldn’t for the life of him explain why.

“It’s about balance, young one.”

Ezra whirled about to find the source of the voice, but only the convor stared back at him. It cooed again as it puffed out it’s chest feathers.

“My master was supposed to bring balance to the Force,” the disembodied voice continued. Ezra’s eyes darted about the room trying to find the source, but ended up settling back on the mural. It seemed crazy, but it was as if the drawing of the woman was talking to him. “He could have done it, too, if he hadn’t been corrupted by others and blinded by his possessiveness.”

_There’s something about that voice…._  Yes, he’d definitely heard this voice before.

“Ahsoka?” Ezra whispered to the nearly empty room.

The convor gave him a knowing look from its perch.

“The Force must be balanced,” echoed the voice of the former Jedi. “And it will take more than just one person.”

The deeper channels that bordered the mural suddenly filled with light, illuminating the room.

“The time is coming when you must do your part, Ezra Bridger.”

“Wait, how will I know what to do?!” Ezra nearly shouted, sensing Ahsoka’s presence leaving him as the light started to dim.

“When the moment comes, you will know. You’ve always known…”

Ezra felt suddenly alone, desperately tracing the grooves around the woman on the wall as if it would bring Ahsoka’s presence back. But he felt a weight lift from his heart, a weight that had been in place so long he’d nearly forgotten it was there.

_She lived._


	9. And So Dawn Ends in Night

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Caution: Major spoilers for the SWR Season 4 ahead. And major feels. Because I'm trying to cope.  
>  ~~it's not working why does everything hurt so much~~

She expected him to walk through the door any minute now. Battered, bruised, singed at the edges, maybe with a limp and holding a hand over a gash on his side that she would have to patch up. She’d run to embrace him, letting fly some quip about how if he hadn’t survived, she would’ve killed him. He would smile back and come up with his own witty response. Or just stand there and hold her. Or better yet, kiss her.

Any minute now. He had to. He just  _had_  to.

Kanan Jarrus couldn’t be dead. He couldn’t. She refused to believe it.

Except that she had seen his sacrifice with her own eyes. The way he held back the blinding explosion, allowing the rest of them to escape with their lives. Well, most of their lives - a sizable portion of hers had now evaporated into thin air.

He was stronger than any Jedi she’d known. Or, at least, known of, since there weren’t exactly a lot of them running around these days. Kinder. The most compassionate. And although he’d spent a large portion of his life blinded in one manner or another, somehow he always seemed to have the most clarity. An unspoken hopefulness that grew despite a thick crust of cynicism, fueled by a reckless (and sometimes heroic) abandon. Wise beyond his years. A better partner than she could have ever hoped for. Definitely better than she deserved.

She could still feel his warm arms around her. His blinded eyes peering into her very being. His rough but sweet lips on hers. Fleeting moments. Moments she hadn’t had nearly enough of. And that regret would hang over her for a long time to come, if not forever.

_He can’t be gone. What am I supposed to do without him?_

Hera sunk to the floor of the cave, her ragged breathing echoing off the solid stone walls. His mask, his small dagger, and his shaved ponytail lay on the small altar before her; the only offering of himself that now survived. Painfully alone, the only thing she had the strength to do was weep.

_**What’s the point in fighting if you can’t even save the ones you love?** _


End file.
